The Value that Senior Attorneys Present to Growing Law Firms – An Interview with Attorneys Steve Wilchins & Christine Morgan of Wilchins Cosentino & Novins LLP

In this interview, Attorneys Steve Wilchins and Christine Morgan of Wellesley, MA based Wilchins Cosentino & Novins LLP discuss the value that Attorney Morgan and Attorney Beth Warach added to WCN when they joined WCN during the fall of 2019.

As Poock explains, Morgan retained Senior Attorney Match with a well-defined plan to join a Growing Law Firm where Morgan could practice for a limited time, followed by transitioning Morgan’s T&E clients to that firm.

As Morgan states, “I wanted to leave my clients with a deep bench . . . with younger attorneys that would be there as I aged.”

Addressing the benefits that “seasoned attorneys” (Wilchins’ term) present to Growing Law Firms such as WCN, Wilchins describes those benefits as 2 phases:

(1) The Initial Phase: During the Initial Phase, Senior Attorneys such as Morgan can work on what they enjoy and do well by “offloading” administrative work, which results in: (i) Greater personal happiness; and (ii) The satisfaction derived from knowing that a Growing Law Firm can capably extend the lawyer-client relationship begun by a Senior Attorney.

(2) The Wind-Down Phase: During the Wind-Down Phase, Senior Attorneys practice less by introducing a “work vs. pleasure balance” that involves remaining engaged in a way and manner that they choose. Wilchins describes this phase as involving Senior Attorneys transitioning their clients to younger attorneys, which itself results in feeling good about themselves.

Wilchins and Morgan both explain the fulfillment to Senior Attorneys that mentoring younger attorneys presents.

Wilchins addresses the business benefits that Senior Attorneys present to Growing Law Firms based upon increasing revenues and market share.

Morgan shares the “win-win” benefit of internal referrals to non-T&E attorneys at WCN, which has included referring Morgan’s clients to WCN lawyers who focus on domestic relations, real estate, and litigation.

And, addressing the “win-win” theme, Poock describes the “win-win” for lawyer-client continuity when a Senior Attorney such as Morgan walks into a client meeting with a capable, younger attorney. There, the client knows that the Senior Attorney has ensured continuity with younger, talented attorneys ready to continue representing the client’s interests when a Senior Attorney retires.